DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
MONDAY MAY 26
3.20 WINDSOR
CIRCE (best price 13-2) dispelled the view she needs seven furlongs to be at her best at Newmarket last time out and with that victory opening a whole new avenue of possibilities for Richard Hannon’s filly, she can confirm races of this nature suit her best.
The daughter of Kodiac had been tried over as far as 1m1f last season and it seemed for quite some time her optimum trip would settle in and around a mile.
However, despite not a particularly strong gallop at HQ earlier this month, she showed enough all-around speed to win over six furlongs and it’s easy to see why connections are keen to pursue her career over that trip for the time being.
Although she was good enough to overcome a tepid pace last time, ultimately, she will be better served by a truer run race and with that scenario likely to develop based on today’s field, the four-year-old should end up being a big player at the business end.
CIRCE – ½ point each-way@13-2
4.15 LEICESTER
Plenty of progressive three-year-olds head to post for this competitive handicap and PRINCE OF INDIA (best price 6-1) has the sort of profile to suggest he could easily come out on top despite the dropping down in trip being a slight unknown.
Marco Botti’s inmate may have huffed and puffed to land his short odds at Lingfield last time out, but he probably deserves a good deal more credit for his victory on the basis he had to challenge away from the favoured stands side rail.
Obviously, today’s test represents another step up in quality for the son of Wootton Bassett, but his speed figures suggest he should prove equal to the task and from a nice middle draw, right next to his two main market rivals, he is fancied to play another starring role.
PRINCE OF INDIA – ½ point each-way@6-1
6.30 BALLINROBE
SEA MUSIC (best price 14-1) lowered the colours of some big names in an ultra-competitive novices’ handicap at the Punchestown festival last time out and despite the assessor having to rejiggle his sums, Emmet Mullins’ inmate can prove just as potent a threat to today’s more established bunch of chasers.
In-keeping with many from his stable prior to Punchestown, he had rather lost his way over the course of the last 12 twelve months but despite a lack of match practice, he was good enough to get the better of Blizzard Of Oz in a protracted dual from two out.
Not only did the pair pull well clear of the rest at the Kildare venue, the overall speed figure and final lap sectionals (3.5 seconds quicker than Grade 1-winning Dinoblue over the same C&D) suggested it was a fair race of its kind, and with the strong possibility that connections have one eye on getting him into the Galway Plate, another solid performance here this evening will hopefully bump this previous course winner over hurdles up into the qualifying criteria around the 140 mark.
SEA MUSIC – ½ point each-way@14-1